Man living at the time of United Monarchy
Nabal, a wealthy man from Carmel, was known for his foolishness and mistreatment of David, which nearly led to his demise.
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Nabal was a wealthy man from Carmel who lived during the time of King David. He is described as a Calebite, indicating his descent from the tribe of Judah. Nabal was married to Abigail, a beautiful and intelligent woman (1Sa.25.3).
Despite his wealth, Nabal was known for his harsh and foolish behavior. When David and his men, who had been protecting Nabal's shepherds and flocks, requested provisions, Nabal rudely refused, insulting David and his men (1Sa.25.4-11). This foolish act provoked David to seek revenge, threatening to kill Nabal and all the males in his household.
Abigail, upon learning of her husband's foolishness, quickly intervened. She gathered a generous supply of food and went out to meet David, apologizing for Nabal's behavior and pleading for mercy (1Sa.25.18-31). Her wise actions and words appeased David, who relented from his plan to attack Nabal's household.
When Abigail informed Nabal of how close he had come to disaster, his heart failed him, and he became like a stone. About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal, and he died (1Sa.25.36-38). After Nabal's death, David sent for Abigail and married her (1Sa.25.39-42).
Nabal's story serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of foolishness, selfishness, and mistreating others. It also highlights the wisdom and courage of Abigail, who acted decisively to protect her household and make peace with David.
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Foolish, a descendant of Caleb who dwelt at Maon (1 Sam. 25), the modern Main, 7 miles south-east of Hebron. He was “very great, and he had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats...but the man was churlish and evil in his doings.” During his wanderings David came into that district, and hearing that Nabal was about to shear his sheep, he sent ten of his young men to ask “whatsoever cometh unto thy hand for thy servants.” Nabal insultingly resented the demand, saying, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse?” (1 Sam. 25:10, 11). One of the shepherds that stood by and saw the reception David’s messengers had met with, informed Abigail, Nabal’s wife, who at once realized the danger that threatened her household. She forthwith proceeded to the camp of David, bringing with her ample stores of provisions (25:18). She so courteously and persuasively pled her cause that David’s anger was appeased, and he said to her, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me.” On her return she found her husband incapable from drunkenness of understanding the state of matters, and not till the following day did she explain to him what had happened. He was stunned by a sense of the danger to which his conduct had exposed him. “His heart died within him, and he became as a stone.” and about ten days after “the Lord smote Nabal that he died” (1 Sam. 25:37, 38). Not long after David married Abigail (q.v.).
(fool) was a sheepmaster on the confines of Judea and the desert, in that part of the country which bore from its great conqueror the name of Caleb. (1 Samuel 25:3; 30:14) (B.C. about 1055.) His residence was on the southern Carmel, in the pasture lands of Maon. His wealth, as might be expected from his abode, consisted chiefly of sheep and goats. It was the custom of the shepherds to drive them into the wild downs on the slopes of Carmel; and it was whilst they were on one of these pastoral excursions that they met a band of outlaws, who showed them unexpected kindness, protecting them by day and night, and never themselves committing any depredations. (1 Samuel 25:7,15,18) Once a year there was a grand banquet on Carmel, “like the feast of a king.” ch. (1 Samuel 25:2,4; 36) It was on one of these occasions that ten youths from the chief of the freebooters approached Nabal, enumerated the services of their master, and ended by claiming, with a mixture of courtesy and defiance characteristic of the East, “whatsoever cometh into thy hand for thy servants and for thy son David.” The great sheepmaster peremptorily refused. The moment that the messengers were gone, the shepherds that stood by perceived the danger that their master and themselves would incur. To Nabal himself they durst not speak. ch. (1 Samuel 25:17) To his wife, as to the good angel of the household, one of the shepherds told the state of affairs. She, with the offerings usual on such occasions, with her attendants running before her, rode down the hill toward David’s encampment. David had already made the fatal vow of extermination. ch. (1 Samuel 26:22) At this moment, as it would seem, Abigail appeared, threw herself on her face before him, and poured forth her petition in language which in both form…
NA'BAL (fool), a very wealthy citizen of Maon, whose property, consisting of 3000 sheep and l000 goats, was in Carmel. 1 Sam 25:2-3. When he was shearing his sheep, David sent ten of his young men to ask him in the most courteous manner for supplies; but Nabal, who was proverbially churlish, refused, in the most offensive terms, to grant his request. David immediately ordered 400 of his men to arm themselves, and set out with the resolution to destroy Nabal and his property. Abigail, the discreet and beautiful wife of this son of Belial, admonished of their purpose, promptly made up a sumptuous present, and set forth to meet David and to appease him with the gifts. Her mission was entirely successful. On returning to her home she found her husband at a feast and drunk, and waited till the following morning to apprise him of what had occurred. Nabal had no sooner received her statement than he was seized with a severe illness, which proved fatal at the end of ten days, and was regarded by David as the immediate judgment of God upon his sins. 1 Sam 25:39. Nabal is the type of a selfish, cruel, and churlish property-holder.
NA'BAL (fool), a very wealthy citizen of Maon, whose property, consisting of 3000 sheep and l000 goats, was in Carmel. 1 Sam 25:2-3. When he was shearing his sheep, David sent ten of his young men to ask him in the most courteous manner for supplies; but Nabal, who was proverbially churlish, refused, in the most offensive terms, to grant his request. David immediately ordered 400 of his men to arm themselves, and set out with the resolution to destroy Nabal and his property. Abigail, the discreet and beautiful wife of this son of Belial, admonished of their purpose, promptly made up a sumptuous present, and set forth to meet David and to appease him with the gifts. Her mission was entirely successful. On returning to her home she found her husband at a feast and drunk, and waited till the following morning to apprise him of what had occurred. Nabal had no sooner received her statement than he was seized with a severe illness, which proved fatal at the end of ten days, and was regarded by David as the immediate judgment of God upon his sins. 1 Sam 25:39. Nabal is the type of a selfish, cruel, and churlish property-holder.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
18 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H5037
His name was Nabal, and his wifeʼs name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings.
While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.
So David sent ten young men and instructed them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel. Greet him in my name
When Davidʼs young men arrived, they relayed all these words to Nabal on behalf of David. Then they waited.
But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.
Meanwhile, one of Nabalʼs young men informed Nabalʼs wife Abigail, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screaed at them.
and said to her young men, “Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
My lord should pay no attention to this scoundrel Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means Fool, and folly accompanies him. I, your servant, did not see my lordʼs young men whom you sent.
Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, since the Lordhas held you back from coming to bloodshed and avenging yourself with your own hand. May your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be like Nabal.
Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, then surely no male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by morning light.”
When Abigail returned to Nabal, there he was in the house, holding a feast fit for a king, in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until morning light.
In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him about these events, and his heart failed within him and he became like a stone.
About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal dead.
On hearing that Nabal was dead, David said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has upheld my cause against the reproach of Nabal and has restrained His servant from evil. For the LORD has brought the wickedness of Nabal down upon his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking for her to become his wife.
David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.
Davidʼs two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel, had been taken captive.
So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
his second was Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; his third was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.